Part Seven in a Series

Lock Lower Back in Tightly!

Thighs at Perfect Depth!

Part seven in our series on squatting correctly we'll discuss the aownward movement of the squat and judging the proper depth. As the downward movement is started great concentration must be made to "lock in" the lower back. Some lifters say "keep it tight." Specifically, this refers to keeping the lower back vertebrae in a strict concave position. This concave position should never change. It must be kept absolutely locked in or tight. This is done for two reasons. First, a lifter is much stronger in a locked in position. Secondly, a lifter is less susceptible to lower back injury.

Coaches should really look for the lower back bOWing out at the bottom position and constantly remind his athletes to keep the lower back "locked in" and "stay tight." This is something that spotters should constantly watch for during the lift. Spotters should be like another coach! Proper depth is crucial to the success of any weight program. If athletes always squat high, they will never get the proper hamstring and buttock development. Consequently, an athlete can never MAKE a miracle happen. Increasing speed along with increasing bodyweight cannot dramatically improve without squatting to the proper depth. Judges in an A. A. U.

meet look at the top of the knee in relation to the line made between the top of the upper thigh and the waist. When that line is lower than the top of the knee, the lift is declared legal. The judge is looking for a slightly below parallel squat. Sometimes this can be difficult for athletes and coaches to judge. Therefore, you may want to judge an athlete's squat by watching the whole top of the thigh or the middle of the thigh. You may also want to decide that even parallel is a good lift. 1also discourage looking at the bottom of the thigh or the hamstrings as some strength coaches do in their programs because in many athletes it will mean not going low enough for proper development.

The difference can be as much as 2-3 inches. Again, spotters should take a very active role in judging and helping their teammate be successful. In March's issue we will discuss coming out of the bottom position and completing the upward movement. The entire BFS squatting technique is shown on our video cassette"The Core Program." (See page 19)

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From BFS Magazine — January/February 1984. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).